


Hold It In

by eldee



Series: Breathless [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Breathplay, Consent, D/s, Edging, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-29
Updated: 2011-04-29
Packaged: 2017-10-18 19:20:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/192346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eldee/pseuds/eldee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's an overwhelming feeling Merlin wants so badly, one that Arthur’s helping Merlin chase down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold It In

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trojie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trojie/gifts).



> This is meant as a follow up to Breathe Your Breath (also D/s, breathplay -- all consensual), but both are PWP that can stand alone. This is written for agenttrojie as a thank-you for helping me on a project. :) Thanks to blue_eyed_1987 for the beta help!

**

 **Hold It In**

**

 

The table in Arthur's chambers is clear of any plates, clothing, armour, or Arthur's letters and paperwork that are often strewn about. They are, of course, in a mess all over the floor and Merlin is going to have to be the one to pick them up.

Later.

And Merlin doesn't even care about that right now.

Instead, he's on his back on said table, his knees bent over the edge so that his legs are dangling down, toes barely touching the floor. His hands are tucked behind his neck, fingers twined together to keep them from slipping free, elbows sticking up and out awkwardly into the air.

And he's naked. Very, very naked.

Merlin's stomach muscles contract as he tries desperately to keep in his whimpers. But it's so difficult at this point, it's been going on for so long. His erection is arching up in the air and he's hard, _so hard_. He's torn between wanting to come, finally having that release slam through his body, or letting this feeling of pleasure _pain_ want _pleasure_ continue to wash over him, fogging his mind and getting lost in it.

Either way, Arthur is not letting him come. Not yet, anyway.

Arthur stands beside the table, still fully dressed. His own erection is easy to see, a bulge in the front of his breeches, right at Merlin's eye level. But he's so focused on Merlin that it's as if he doesn't notice; Merlin doesn't know how he could not, as Merlin can't keep his own eyes away from it. All he wants to do is reach out, squeeze and touch, pull down the breeches and take Arthur in his mouth and suck him off --

\-- Arthur's hand reaches out, the back of his fingers barely brushing against the underside of Merlin's cock --

"Ah- _ah_."

Merlin's cock twitches and he involuntarily moans, unable to keep it back.

Arthur's voice is quiet but like soft velvet. "You liked that, didn't you?"

"Yes," Merlin whimpers. “Yes, please."

Arthur shakes his head. "Not yet. You don't really want it now, do you?"

Merlin takes several short breaths through his nose but doesn't dare speak.

Arthur repeats, "Do you?"

Biting on his lower lip, Merlin shakes his head. No, he doesn't. Of course he doesn’t. It's good, too good.

It's an overwhelming feeling Merlin wants so badly, one that Arthur’s helping Merlin chase down. He's not about to tell him to stop.

He'd been teasing Merlin for, gods, who knew how long? Commanding that Merlin keep his hands behind his head and not allowing him to touch himself, or touch Arthur. Instead, Merlin's spread out on the table before him and Arthur's taking his time. First with light strokes on the soft underside of Merlin's arms, light circular motions around his nipples before playing each one to a peak, gentle caresses over Merlin's ribs and thumbed touches over his hipbones.

It has Merlin squirming, and the little whimpers build up inside his throat until they had started to escape. It only makes it worse -- or better, depending how one looked at it -- and Arthur smirks and tries it all over again. Seeing how tantalising he could be, how much he could work Merlin up into a silent little frenzy until it's uncontrollable and he starts to let it out.

And then he finally -- _finally_ \-- moves on to Merlin's cock.

Only that has most certainly been more teasing then when Arthur was touching the rest of him.

Fingertips lightly touching, but only for a second before pulling away. Grazes up along his shaft, a little flick off the head, barely there. At one point, Arthur sucks on the tip of his own thumb, Merlin staring transfixed as he does, until it comes away from his mouth wet with spit and is rubbed in a tiny circle right under the head of Merlin's cock. His entire body jolts at that, his hard-on twitching and the deep ache inside bursts out of him in a high-pitched whine.

And then Arthur pulls away. Stands several feet back, leaning against the bed post, just watching Merlin. He breathes in deep breaths, as if trying to calm himself, or will down his own erection so he could continue on with his game. And he stares, just _stares_ , and Merlin tremors and fidgets from that alone, as if stripped down to his very core and Arthur is holding Merlin's soul in his gaze.

Then Arthur moves back in and does it all over again. Strong and silent as he teases Merlin to the brink until it becomes so much he nearly wants to sob from it and beg. He isn't going to, no he will not give in, but Merlin really isn't sure how much more he'll be able to handle. He said he could, that he wanted more, but it's so much, too much, and he really wants what Arthur promised him.

Arthur must realise that. He leans down, his hand cupping Merlin's cheek, soft and tender, and he brushes a soft kiss against Merlin's temple.

That alone, the unexpected affection to it, is enough to knock the breath right out of Merlin.

"Are you ready?" Arthur asks into Merlin's ear. "What we talked about? Do you still want it?"

Merlin swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

He nods.

"Say it," Arthur says. He pulls back enough to look in Merlin's eyes. "Tell me."

Merlin nods, forcing the words out of him to go along with the gesture. "Yes. Please, yes, I'm ready."

Arthur nods back, apparently believing it is so. He stands up, centring himself parallel to Merlin's chest. He places one hand ever so lightly low on Merlin's stomach, fingers gently scratching at the coarse hairs there.

The other he brings up to Merlin's shoulder, resting his palm lightly against his collar bone. He stares down at Merlin's neck, and then lightly drags his nails down the soft column of flesh.

"You remember what we talked about?" Arthur asks quietly. "How to stop me?"

Merlin nods. He remembers. The conversation has been burned onto his mind, and on those nights he's in his own bed, he remembers them vividly, imagining them and wondering how it would really feel. He's about to find out.

Arthur says, "All right, then. We'll start slow."

When his hand moved from Merlin's shoulder, Merlin can feel his breath catch in his throat in anticipation.

Arthur frowns and freezes. "Breathe," he tells Merlin, "while you still can."

Merlin nods. Yes. Yes, he needs to, he should. He lets go, and inhales and exhales, inhales again and fills his lungs.

Arthur waits, ever so patiently, until Merlin's got a rhythm. It's a forced one, but at least it's happening. When Arthur seems satisfied, he moves his hand again.

He cups it over Merlin's face, covering Merlin's mouth. His nose isn't covered and Arthur tells him, "Keep breathing," so he does, through his nostrils, in a paced rhythm. It centres him, helps him focus.

And then Arthur's fingers move, and his index and thumb pinch Merlin's nose, cutting off the airflow there.

Immediately Merlin tries to breathe through his mouth. But Arthur's hand is cupped over it, and there's a seal created. It's not perfectly airtight and there's a slight feel of air being sucked in, a small squeaking sound as it's dragged passed the tightness of Arthur's hand against Merlin's face.

But it's so miniscule, nearly nothing. With each inhale there is less to take in, and Merlin's breath becomes more laboured. His chest starts to burn with it, the lack of sufficient air, and it feels like he's going to burst.

Merlin shakes his head, side to side, but as soon as he moves, Arthur's fingers release his nose and his hand is pulled away. Merlin takes in a deep _whoop_ of air, audible as he sucks it in and tries to fill his lungs.

"Good, that's good," Arthur says above him. Merlin glances up and sees Arthur staring down at him, blue eyes intense as he assesses Merlin. "How was it?"

"Good," Merlin repeats, forcing words out of himself, barely a sound but enough. "I'm okay. It's -- yeah."

"More?"

Merlin nods again. This time, Arthur doesn't wait for Merlin to get used to a hand over his mouth before he cuts off the air completely. His hand is a tighter seal, fingers pinching Merlin's nose, and it's even harder this time, air gone quicker and the feeling like he's going to explode.

And then Arthur's other hand brushes lightly against the side of Merlin's cock. He's so surprised by it that he moans -- or, tries to, at least. It's more a push out of what air is left in him, his cheeks puffing out when it can't get past Arthur's hand, a high pitched whine trapped between Merlin's mouth and the dome of fingers covering it, sounding muffled and yearning.

Merlin shakes his head and the hold is instantly released.

Arthur frowns at him, a thumb brushing at a tear that's sprung to the corner of Merlin's eye, just one way his body reacted to it.

"I'm okay," Merlin says immediately, though it sounds laboured. "Really. That was--" he swallows, trying to come up with the right words "-- I want more."

That gets a smirk out of Arthur, though his other hand pets lightly at Merlin's stomach. He sounds confident but he still asks, "Yeah?"

"Yes. Please?" Merlin whispers, cheeks getting even warmer with just the thought.

It's hard to explain, the way it all goes to his head, how his vision is slightly clouded and it makes him feel like he's floating. How being without the proper air actually makes the feeling in his loins spark more, and now that he can focus again, it feels stronger and more desperate. He's hard, still so hard.

"I want to make you come like that," Arthur tells him, and Merlin's nodding frantically before all the words are out of his mouth.

"Yes, yes, _yes_ ," he hisses, a litany that spills over his tongue before he can hold it back.

"Fuck, Merlin," Arthur says, his voice low and husky. Finally, Arthur looks like he's ready to give it all in, to let himself go. He palms his own cock for a moment, adjusting himself, and bites on his lower lip. His cheeks and the tips of his ears go pink.

But he steadies himself, and focuses on Merlin. His eyes roam over Merlin's naked body, taking in his hard, leaking cock before coming up to meet Merlin's gaze.

"One more try," Arthur says. "But that's it." Merlin wants to tell him they can do it over and over until they get it right; and maybe they will, but he's not going to push Arthur on it now.

He knows that Arthur just wants to be careful, and it's that thought that always settles Merlin's nerves and makes him anxious, but in a good way, to go forward.

Merlin will take whatever Arthur is willing to give, completely and fully.

Merlin is a little too excited again and Arthur makes him wait. Merlin works on evening his breath while Arthur whispers soothing things to him, a calming, firm hand squeezing his shoulder while the other strokes lightly up and down the top of Merlin’s thigh.

Merlin's hands are still pillowed behind his neck, and as he relaxes his arms fall to the side again, elbows nearly resting against the table, the tension draining from him. And when he's finally got more of a hold on himself, Arthur nods.

"All right, then."

For a third time, Arthur's hand covers Merlin's mouth and fingers pinch at his nose, restricting any airflow from entering Merlin's body. Merlin holds his breath this time, trying to conserve the air he has.

But it doesn't last long, not when Arthur's other hand takes a quick and deft grip to the base of Merlin's cock and starts pumping in firm strokes.

Merlin's entire body curls in on itself; knees lift up in the air, abdomen contracting and lifts Merlin's upper body off the table. His arms react, fingers pulling away from each other. One hand grips Arthur's arm, nails digging in, while the other curls around the edge of the table, trying to keep himself from shaking apart.

And Arthur still keeps his hand on Merlin's face; Merlin shudders a soundless sob as he starts to come, his body trembling. He can't do it anymore, his head shaking quickly and Arthur immediately lets go. But he continues to jerk Merlin off, pumping him through his orgasm as Merlin's come splatters in thick pearly ropes across his stomach.

Merlin draws long inhales of air, and the sounds of it fill the room. He's not sobbing, not exactly, but he has to work so hard at it that it probably appears to be painstakingly difficult. In a way, it is, but it's the pleasure that's still rippling through his body, the vertigo that's throwing him off kilter, that makes it so.

Arthur's come-wet hand grips Merlin's shoulder, the other one cradling the back of his neck, pulling him forward. Merlin's arms immediately go around Arthur's waist and he presses his face into Arthur's toned stomach as Arthur holds him close.

"Merlin--"

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Merlin insists, voice sounding scratchy and rough. He can't help but press quick reassuring kisses there, more a drag of dry chapped lips against smooth skin. He still gulps down air as he says, "I'm fine, promise."

"Shit, Merlin, _shit_. The sounds -- the way you--"

Merlin could hear the quiver in Arthur's voice, the one that's there when he's positively wrecked and coming undone, when he stops holding it in and lets go of the control. Merlin moves one of his hands and presses his palm against Arthur's erection; Merlin can feel the low moan rumbles through Arthur’s entire body. Merlin takes a firmer grip, Arthur's cock wrapped in material and Merlin's hand. After a few short pumps, Arthur grunts and there's a warm wetness that stains the front of his breeches.

Arthur hunches over and presses soft kisses to Merlin's face, and he sounds nearly as breathless as Merlin feels.

 

~ end


End file.
